Home stagers have endured a lonely existence for the last two years.
With demand for housing piping hot, there wasn’t much of a need to gussy up homes on the market with furniture or accessories. Homeowners didn’t need to do much more than brush the crumbs off the countertops before getting multiple offers from desperate buyers. 1950s pink-tiled bathroom? No problem! Leaky roof? Sold!
Savvy home stagers are taking advantage of the slowdown in their business to evaluate the furniture and accessories they use to spruce up homes. They are winnowing out pieces that are a bit past their prime. While their business is starting to pick up a bit, these stagers want to be ready with new looks for the next burst of activity.
Because stagers follow the trends closely, I’ve learned a lot this summer about emerging styles in interior design. Here are some tips you might find useful whether you are designing a room for yourself or staging your home to sell:
- No more gray. For years, gray was the dominant neutral in homes. Now, oatmeal and beige are staging a comeback.
- Less is more especially when it comes to color. That boho look featuring a kaleidoscope of color? It’s fading in popularity which, to be honest, is a relief. Few had the talent to make that work well. My advice: pick a few bold and bright colors, but not too many.
- Don’t try to stuff every room with unique or one-of-a-kind items. Concentrate more on how the furniture and accessories relate to each other from room to room and how they enhance a graceful flow of the design. Too many pieces clamoring for attention is like a three-ring circus. You don’t know where to look first and everything becomes a blur.
- Think about staging your home whether or not you intend to sell. It’s like buffing and polishing your car. Your home is newly appealing when it gets a bit of attention, a fresh design, or an updated piece or two.